"That's good. I came to see how strong your knights were too."
Noa's lips curved slowly, not into warmth—but into something sharper. Something that glinted like metal catching sunlight. His eyes shimmered faintly, as though some distant star had decided to burn behind them.
Valric blinked.
Confusion creased his aged face. The words felt misplaced—like a blade drawn in a dining hall.
"What are you tal—Khuek—!"
Mid-sentence, the world shifted.
Noa vanished from where he stood.
A gust of wind swept across the courtyard—then impact.
The sound was not merely a punch. It was a thud heavy enough to disturb the silence like a stone dropped into still water.
Valric staggered backward. His boots scraped against the stone. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, dark red against pale skin.
For a moment, even the wind seemed to hesitate.
Noa looked down at his own fist, flexing it once.
"Pretty tanky for an old man."
His tone was casual. Observational. As though he had merely tested the ripeness of fruit.
Rose's eyes widened so abruptly it was as if the sky itself had split open.
"What are you doing?!" she shouted, stepping forward instinctively.
Around them, seventy knights stiffened at once. Armor clinked. Hands moved toward sword hilts. No one understood what had just happened—but they understood this:
Their duke had been struck.
They waited only for a command.
"That was payment," Noa said calmly, turning his gaze toward Rose, "for not looking after your own children."
The words were not loud—but they struck deeper than the fist.
Rose understood immediately.
Noa was not a man who let things slide when something of his was touched. He did not forget. He did not forgive easily. Mercy was not absent in him—it was simply selective.
...This is fine, right? I won't get fired for this, right?
For all the political tension, Rose's greatest fear at that moment was unemployment.
And his second objective was—
Yes.
She understood that too.
After absorbing the blow, Valric pressed a hand against his stomach and slowly lifted his head. His eyes were no longer confused.
They were burning.
My son? Did he do something?
The thought surfaced—but pride drowned it before it could breathe.
He had been struck in his own mansion by someone whose family name he did not even recognize. A duke. Struck. His jaw tightened as fury overtook reason.
You little… I will show you the power of a duke.
His voice trembled with contained fury as he opened his mouth.
"Knights… attack him… all of you."
Steel sang as swords left scabbards.
The report said he killed those three monsters… but he absolutely can't fight all of us alone.
Valric did not even glance at Rose anymore. Rage had made him narrow.
And this—
This was Noa's second reason.
After seeing the knights gathered here, he had not simply wanted a spar.
He had wanted a storm.
To the duke's command, every knight surged forward. Seventy armored figures. A tide of iron and discipline.
"Just don't break it," Rose muttered, offering her sword toward Noa with reluctant practicality.
Seeing the advancing wave, she knew he would need it.
But Noa did not even look at the blade.
"I'm not going to kill them," he said. "So I don't need a sword."
…Who said anything about killing them? Rose clicked her tongue internally.
She had offered it because the knights had weapons. Because [Aura Blade] required steel.
Because that was common sense.
Unknown to her—
Noa had something else.
Something greater than [Aura Blade].
His left hand slowly darkened as purple-black energy crawled over it like living ink spreading across parchment.
It was similar to aura.
But it felt… deeper.
Denser.
Like sound that had been buried underground for centuries and was now clawing its way out.
[Echo Reclamation]
And this battlefield—thick with anger, pride, humiliation, fear—
It was fertile soil.
"Heheheh."
Noa's smile curved upward, sharp as a crescent moon.
"This is the first time I'm using this. Be honored."
The knights rushed him.
For the first test, he threw a single, casual punch.
He stepped forward—
His fist moved—
THOOM.
The ground fifty meters away detonated.
Stone ruptured outward. Dust exploded into the sky. A shockwave tore through the courtyard like invisible thunder.
One tenth of the knights were blasted backward, armor ringing as they crashed and slid across stone. They landed on one knee, gasping, stunned—but not unconscious.
Even then—
The others did not stop.
They pushed forward.
"Oho?" Noa tilted his head, genuinely intrigued. "Did I get stronger or something?"
The wind picked up, carrying dust around him like a cloak.
Whatever. Next test.
This time, he drew more from it. From the anger. From the hostility. From the atmosphere thick with wounded pride.
"Okay then, take th—"
"Hahahaha—so you've come here… to your own grave."
The voice sliced through the battlefield like a crack of lightning.
Noa paused mid-motion and turned.
Lucien.
"Oh. It was you?" Noa blinked lazily. "I nearly forgot about you."
The knights stopped advancing. Their attention shifted.
"If it weren't for those monsters," Noa continued calmly, "you would've been dead."
Lucien smirked.
"That was a surprise attack. Now, you will die by my han—Huh?"
He finally looked around.
His father was bleeding.
Knights were kneeling.
Stone was shattered.
Air trembled.
But—
It's fine. I have 'them' with me. This fool will be executed here.
From behind Lucien, shadows stepped forward.
Counts. The marshal. The chancellor of Blackmoor.
Then—
"I knew you would cause trouble."
The voice was silk and command at once.
Noa turned.
And for a fraction of a second—
The battlefield felt like it had become a stage.
Vionette stepped forward.
The wind lifted her hair like a royal banner. Sunlight caught her silhouette. Even the dust seemed to bow.
Knights. Nobles. Lucien.
All knelt.
Rose bowed deeply.
Valric, despite his injury, lowered himself to one knee.
Why is she here?
Is it because of him?
"Young man, kneel before her maje—"
"I just wanted to see my strength," Noa said lightly, cutting off the chancellor as if swatting away a fly.
The entire courtyard froze.
He did not kneel.
He smiled at her instead.
Vionette's eyebrow twitched.
"Destroying the whole dukedom," she said slowly, "was how you wanted to test your strength?"
Noa whistled and looked at the sky.
"I wasn't going to destroy the whole thing."
She stepped closer.
Too close.
She leaned slightly toward him.
Why do they talk like… they're close?
Murmurs spread.
"He is not royal blood."
"Then why does he speak like he belongs beside her?"
"What about beating the duke's son?" she pressed, attempting sternness.
"I just beat up the guy who tried to steal my gift for you," Noa shrugged. "And he just happened to be the duke's son."
Silence fell like a dropped curtain.
"My… present?"
Her voice softened.
Observers noticed.
Noa reached into his pocket and revealed the earring. It caught the light like a captured star.
"You mean… this earring?"
"Yes. The earring."
It's beautiful…
Wait—a gift for me?
"Stay still. I'm putting it on."
She hesitated.
Then obeyed.
The movement was gentle. Careful. Almost ceremonial.
His fingers brushed her hair aside.
The courtyard disappeared.
For a moment, it felt less like jewelry—
And more like a vow placed without witnesses.
Her breath caught. Her cheeks warmed faintly.
What is happening right now?
Why is he doing this here?!
A knight whispered—
"I think we just witnessed royal flirting."
Both of them froze.
Oh. Right.
The entire dukedom was still kneeling.
They straightened instantly.
"Ahem! Everyone, get up," Vionette commanded.
"By your will!"
They rose in unison.
"Knights, return to training. Nobles, Private Garden."
"By your will!"
She sighed.
Do these men only have one line?
"Wait," Noa narrowed his eyes. "Did you secretly run away from Seliora?"
She froze.
Then immediately clapped a hand over his mouth.
"SHH! Don't say that name out loud! It's a jinx!"
He rolled his eyes.
So you did.
"How did you get here faster than I did?" he demanded suspiciously.
"Oh. That? I used the teleportation circle."
Silence.
"You what now?"
"Tehee~"
The smile was illegal.
"So I spent days traveling when I could've teleported?"
"You looked like you were having character development."
"You little—I'm telling Seliora."
Her face drained of color.
"You wouldn't."
"I would."
"You wouldn't dare."
"I absolutely would."
"No, no, no—you can't!" She grabbed his sleeve, clinging like a child avoiding punishment. "You can't!"
Tears shimmered dramatically.
"You do realize," Noa said flatly, "this looks like you're afraid I'll leak classified information."
"I am afraid you'll leak classified information," she whispered.
Behind them, seventy knights pretended not to stare.
They failed.
The wind drifted lazily across the ruined courtyard, lifting dust and broken pebbles like confetti after a very violent festival. Several kneeling knights slowly stood, some still glancing at the cracked stone fifty meters away.
One knight whispered, "Was that a punch or a natural disaster?"
Another replied, "I'm requesting hazard pay."
Valric wiped blood from his lip.
I do not understand anything happening.
"Your Majesty," he interjected carefully, sweat trailing down his temple, "the Private Garden is prepared."
That man punched me. But she is close to him. I need to get information first.
"Ah. Right," Vionette composed herself. "Let's go to the Private Garden first."